Interchangeable shaft system

Abstract

A golf club incorporating an interchangeable shaft system includes a shaft and a club head. The shaft is removably coupled to the club head. Hosel and shaft alignment features provide discreet orientations between the shaft and club head. The shaft alignment features and a fastening member are integrated into the construction of the shaft.

1. A golf club, comprising:
 a golf club head including an integral hosel and at least one hosel alignment feature, wherein the hosel defines a bore and the hosel alignment feature is disposed at a proximal end of the hosel; 
 an elongate shaft assembly including an elongate shaft body, a fastening member and at least one shaft alignment feature that extends outward from an outer surface of the shaft body and that is a separate component from the fastening member, wherein the at least one shaft alignment feature is spaced proximal of the fastening member in the shaft assembly and is shaped to complement the shape of the hosel alignment feature, and wherein the fastening member and the at least one shaft alignment feature are integrated into the shaft assembly construction such that they are coupled only by the shaft body; and 
 a fastener that engages the fastening member and releasably couples the shaft body to the club head. 
 
     
     
       2. The golf club of  claim 1 , further comprising a ferrule that is integrated into the shaft assembly construction. 
     
     
       3. The golf club of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one shaft alignment feature is integrated into the ferrule. 
     
     
       4. The golf club of  claim 1 , further comprising an interface member coupled to the at least one shaft alignment feature, wherein the interface member increases the wear resistance of the at least one alignment feature. 
     
     
       5. The golf club of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening member is a tubular threaded insert disposed in a distal end portion of the elongate shaft body. 
     
     
       6. A golf club, comprising:
 a golf club head including integral hosel and a plurality of notches spaced circumferentially about a proximal end of the hosel that extend through a sidewall of the hosel, wherein the hosel defines a bore; 
 an elongate shaft assembly including an elongate shaft body, a fastening member and a plurality of tangs that extend laterally outward beyond an outer surface of the elongate shaft body, wherein the plurality of tangs is separate from the fastening member and spaced from the distal end of the shaft body, wherein the fastening member and the plurality of tangs are integrated into the shaft assembly construction such that they are coupled only by the shaft body, and wherein the distal end of the shaft body is received in the bore and the tangs engage the notches; and 
 a fastener that releasably couples the shaft to the club head. 
 
     
     
       7. The golf club of  claim 6 , further comprising a ferrule that is integrated into the shaft assembly construction. 
     
     
       8. The golf club of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of tangs are integrated into the ferrule.